Calling All Skaters: Noah and Vans Resurrect Two Iconic Skate Shoes

Attention, all skaters and streetwear fanatics: Tomorrow, Noah will drop its first-ever collaboration with Vans, a four-piece capsule that sees the cult New York label resurrect two of the brand’s iconic (and unisex!) skate shoes. “For me, if you’re talking skate shoes, there really is no one else to work with,” says Brendon Babenzien, Noah’s founder and creative director. “My relationship with Vans goes back over 30 years—I actually remember a custom pair of navy, pink, and purple check Vans I had made when I was in 4th grade.”

On that front, Babenzien is not alone. In fact, the Noah team is stacked with long-time skaters, who share a childhood obsession with those classic California designs. Their memories drew them to unearth two styles from the Vans archive: the Sk8-Hi Decon, a deconstructed version of the beloved high-top, and the more unconventional Chukka MS, which Babenzien says “lives somewhere between a sneaker and a shoe.” “Neither of them were currently available and that seemed a shame to us,” Babenzien adds.

Noah’s take on the SK8-Hi Decon features a blue and white checkerboard print, drawn directly from the “N for No” international maritime signal flag. A second version is spotted with Jolly Roger skulls, and both nod to the labels’ seaside roots. The Chukka was reissued more simply in black or royal blue suede, as the team was already in love with its unorthodox lines. “It was pretty selfish on our part, so we’re really glad Vans was on board,” Babenzien says.

To illustrate the capsule’s timeless, rule-breaking spirit, Babenzien tapped legendary skateboarder Steve Salba to model the shoes, who gamely tied them on to shred across an empty pool. “He symbolizes everything we’re trying to achieve at Noah,” Babenzien says in sum. “An ageless approach to life. He still rips. It’s really inspiring.”